AI Is Moving Faster Than the Operating Model: What CIOs Expect from Tech Providers
Analyst Market Briefings
AI Is Moving Faster Than the Operating Model: What CIOs Expect from Tech Providers
Friday, 18 September, 2026 @11:00am
Date
Friday, 18 September, 2026
Time
11:00am -12:00pm AEST
Location
Zoom link will be available upon registration.
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ADAPT’s latest CIO Edge research, capturing insights from over 140 Australian CIOs, reveals a technology agenda being reshaped by a new tension: AI is moving quickly into enterprise priorities, but operating models, workforce readiness and value measurement are struggling to keep pace.
CIOs are scaling AI and automation while continuing to modernise infrastructure, applications and data foundations. But the bigger challenge is no longer access to the technology. It is deciding how AI should operate across the enterprise, who owns the agentic workforce, how decision rights should change, and where accountability sits as technology, data and AI become more distributed across the business.
At the same time, AI activity is running ahead of AI economics. Productivity gains are emerging, but translating them into sustained enterprise value remains difficult. Funding, talent, legacy complexity and competing priorities continue to constrain execution, while value measurement is still largely fragmented across individual initiatives.
For tech providers, this raises the bar. CIOs are less interested in broad transformation narratives and more interested in partners who can connect technology to an immediate business priority, demonstrate industry understanding, and bring a credible hypothesis for value and ROI.
In this 55-minute virtual briefing, we’ll unpack the latest CIO priorities, investment shifts and execution challenges to help you refine messaging, campaign strategy and sales engagements for Australian CIOs.
Key Takeaways Where CIO priorities are shifting across AI, modernisation and operational effectiveness Why Agentic AI is forcing a rethink of operating models, accountability and workforce readiness Why AI activity is outpacing the ability to demonstrate enterprise value The execution constraints shaping CIO investment and technology decisions What CIOs now expect from vendors before they engage
Gabby’s primary role is managing analysis to produce ADAPT’s actionable insights. He has extensive experience in using data to identify technology trends... More
Gabby’s primary role is managing analysis to produce ADAPT’s actionable insights. He has extensive experience in using data to identify technology trends to support Australian organisations.
Using modern data science techniques, he provides ADAPT and its customers with confidence in the accuracy and validity of the information used for ADAPT’s research, advisory and events.
With a passion for creating stories with data, Gabby is consistently rated as one of the top speakers at ADAPT’s events. In roundtable discussions, he specialises in using statistics to initiate thought-provoking discussions.
Gabby is effective in translating information into insights, enabling ADAPT’s customers to become more data-driven.
Gabby’s primary areas of expertise are:
- Advanced AI and ML practices, including AI ethics.
- Building models to benchmark and predict IT performance.
- End-user behaviour and human-centred design.
- Cross-functional team design and value, such as DevSecOps.
Jim Berry
CEO and Founder at ADAPT
Jim founded ADAPT with a vision to help Australia thrive commercially, now and for the future. To enable that, Jim leads ADAPT’s mission... More
Jim founded ADAPT with a vision to help Australia thrive commercially, now and for the future. To enable that, Jim leads ADAPT’s mission to connect, inform and equip our local business and tech leaders.
Leading the development of ADAPT’s agendas and content strategy whilst also advising executive leadership teams from global technology providers, Jim is uniquely experienced to be the voice of the end user, customer and vendor.
Bringing his deep knowledge of the local market, Jim regularly presents on modernisation and “know your customer.” He guides business leaders who are responsible for developing and deploying technology strategies across their organisations and helps some of the world’s largest vendors with their go-to-market and content plans.
Through entrepreneurial product development and a servant leader mentality with his team and clients, ADAPT grows annually with clearly differentiated value for all stakeholders.